American  BoarD  of  (JCommiajsf oners  for  Jforeign  ;i^issions« 


MANUAL 


MISSIONARY  CANDIDATES, 


APPOINTED  MISSIONARIES  BEFORE 
ENTERING  THEIR  FIELDS. 


REVISED  EDITION. 


PRINTED  FOR  THE  BOARD: 

BEACON  PRESS,  THOS.  TODD,  CONGREGATIONAL  HOUSE,  BOSTON, 

1891. 


I'he  offices  of  the  American  Board  are  in  the 
Congregational  House,  Boston,  Mass.,  and  let¬ 
ters  for  the  Secretaries,  Treasurer,  or  Publishing 
and  Purchasing  Agent,  should  be  addressed  to 
them  at  No.  i  Somerset  Street,  Boston,  Mass. 


V 


American  Boaro  of  (^I:o^Tm(s^^to^^ra  for  JForrign 


MANUAL 


MISSIONARY  CANDIDATES, 


AND  FOR 


APPOINTED  MISSIONARIES  BEFORE 
ENTERING  THEIR  FIELDS. 


REVISED  EDITION. 


PRINTED  FOR  THE  BOARD: 

BEACON  PRESS,  THOS.  TODD,  CONGREGATIONAL  HOUSE,  BOSTON, 

1891. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Missionary  Laborers . 3 

Time  for  deciding  whether  to  become  a  Missionary . 3 

Qualifications  of  Missionaries  and  Assistant  Missionaries  ....  4 

Time  and  Manner  of  applying  for  an  Appointment . 5 

Testimonials  of  Candidates . 6 

Questions  to  Missionary  Candidates . 7 

Appointment  and  its  Consequences . *9 

What  a  Missionary  has  a  Right  to  Expect . 10 

Designation . 12 

Studies . 12 

Debts . 13 

Ordination  . . *14 

Marriage . .  .  14 

Outfit . 14 

How  to  make  out  a  list  for  Outfit . 16 

Passport . 18 

Private  Library  and  Periodicals . 18 

Farewell  Visits  to  Friends . 19 

Furloughs . 20 

Rules  and  Regitlations  of  the  Board . . 


MANUAL. 


This  pamphlet  is  intended  to  be  a  manual  for  per¬ 
sons  wishing  to  engage  in  the  missionary  work  ynder 
the  direction  of  the  American  Board,  and  for  appointed 
missionaries  before  they  shall  have  entered  their  fields 
of  labor.  It  will  serve  instead  of  many  written  and  ver¬ 
bal  answers  to  inquiries,  which  must  otherwise  be  pro¬ 
posed  to  the  Secretaries  or  Treasurer.  It  will  always 
be  presumed  that  candidates  have  made  themselves 
acquainted  with  the  contents  of  these  pages,  and  that 
nothing  need  be  repeated  to  them  which  is  here  con¬ 
tained. 

I.  Missionary  Laborers. 

Ordained  ministers  of  the  gospel  are  called  mission¬ 
aries;  all  others,  whether  men  or  women,  who  have 
received  appointment,  are  called  assistant  missionaries. 

II.  Time  for  deciding  whether  to  become  a  Missionary, 

This  question  may  be  decided  at  any  time,  in  view 
of  providential  indications,  with  the  humble  desire  to 
act  in  accordance  with  the  divine  pleasure.  “  If  the 
Lord  will,  we  shall  live,  and  do  this  or  that.”  The 
reasons  in  favor  of  an  early  decision  are  briefly  these : 

1.  An  early  decision  is  desirable,  because  of  its 
bearing  on  the  mind  and  conscience  of  the  student, 
and  it  will  probably  render  him  more  efficient  and  use¬ 
ful  as  a  missionary. 

2.  One  who  decides  early  to  devote  himself  to  the 
cause  of  foreign  missions  will  be  more  useful  to  that 
cause,  during  his  preparatory  studies,  than  he  other¬ 
wise  could  be,  and  will  be  spared  the  necessity  of  con¬ 
sidering  “  calls  ”  at  home. 


4 


MANUAL. 


3.  It  may  be  added,  that  an  early  decision  to  be  a 
missionary  will  do  no  injury  to  one  who  may  be  provi¬ 
dentially  kept  from  engaging  in  the  foreign  service. 
If  a  man  is  actuated  by  love  to  Christ,  and  to  souls 
redeemed  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  he  need  not  fear  the 
consequences  of  having  it  known  that  he  is  aspiring  to 
the  missionary  office,  even  should  he  afterward  find  that 
his  duty  requires  him  to  remain  at  home.  A  sincere 
regard  for  duty,  and  a  resolute  pursuit  of  it,  are  far  less 
likely  to  be  injurious  to  a  man’s  usefulness,  than  a  tim¬ 
orous  shrinking  from  responsibility.  Qualifications  and 
the  opportunity  may  be  regarded  as  constituting  a  call 
to  the  foreign  field. 

III.  Qualifications  of  Missionaries  and  Assistant 
Missionaries. 

Of  these  some  are  indispensable  for  all  candidates 
for  the  missionary  work,  while  others  are  especially 
requisite  in  certain  departments  of  that  work.  ■ 

The  same  general  qualifications  are  requisite  which 
are  justly  esteemed  as  the  conditions  of  success  at 
home  :  an  unimpaired  physical  constitution ;  good  in¬ 
tellectual  ability,  well  disciplined  by  education,  and  if 
possible  by  practical  experience ;  good  sense ;  sound 
judgment  of  men  and  things;  versatility,  tact,  adapta¬ 
tion  to  men  of  all  classes  and  circumstances — “sancti¬ 
fied  common  sense;”  a  cheerful,  hopeful  spirit ;  ability 
to  work  pleasantly  with  others ;  persistent  energy  in  the 
carrying  out  of  plans  once  begun:  —  all  controlled  by 
a  single-hearted,  self-sacrificing  devotion  to  Christ  and  Hts 
cause. 

Mental  powers  and  attainments  of  the  highest  order, 
executive  ability  and  capacity  for  organizing  and  super¬ 
intending,  find  ample  scope  in  the  missionary  fields. 
Power  in  public  address  is  as  desirable  and  as  useful  in 
the  work  abroad  as  at  home.  Though  there  are  many 
helps  to  the  acquisition  of  foreign  languages  not  enjoyed 
by  the  early  missionaries,  facility  in  acquiring  a  foreign 
tongue  is  a  valuable  qualification  ;  yet  much  depends 
on  the  persistent  purpose  to  master  it. 


MANUAL. 


5 


The  candidate  should  sustain  a  good  character  among 
those  who  know  him.  Any  gross  neglect  of  duty,  any 
transaction  that  has  brought  him  under  suspicion,  is  a 
disqualification,  as  it  might,  should  he  enter  the  mis¬ 
sionary  service,  bring  reproach  upon  the  cause.  His 
standing  should  be  such  that  when  his  intention  is 
announced,  the  common  sentiment  of  those  who  know 
him  will  be,  that  he  is  well  qualified  for  the  w’ork. 

As  to  the  second  class  of  qualifications,  namely,  spe¬ 
cial  adaptations  to  a  particular  department  of  labor : 

Those  who  expect  to  be  engaged  mainly  in  teaching, 
should  not  only  be  thoroughly  prepared  by  their  in¬ 
tellectual  attainments  and  discipline,  but  should  have 
shown  special  fitness  in  actual  service  by  their  suc¬ 
cess,  not  only  in  the  general  work  of  teaching,  but  in 
molding  character,  shaping  the  minds  and  hearts  of 
their  pupils. 

A  missionary  physician  should  have  what  would  in 
this  country  be  esteemed  a  competent  medical  educa¬ 
tion  ;  and  he  should  be  prepared  to  make  his  profes¬ 
sional  knowledge  and  skill  directly  subservient  to  the  fur¬ 
therance  of  the  gospel.  It  is  important  that  he  should  be 
acquainted  with  the  natural  sciences,  and  that  he  should 
be  well  read  in  Christian  theology. 

The  foregoing  qualifications  are  requisite  in  women, 
whether  married  or  unmarried,  who  go  out  as  assist¬ 
ant  missionaries,  so  far  as  they'are  applicable  to  their 
sphere  of  labor  and  their  peculiar  circumstances.  Prac¬ 
tical  knowledge  of  domestic  work,  especially  of  the  culi¬ 
nary  art,  is  often  of  very  great  value. 

In  all  ordinary  cases,  it  is  expected  that  those  who 
become  missionaries  will  consecrate  themselves  to  this 
service  for  life. 

IV.  Time  and  Manner  of  Applying  for  an  Appointment. 

If  the  candidate  be  in  a  theological  seminary,  a 
proper  lime  for  him  to  make  his  offer  of  service  is  at 
or  near  the  commencement  of  the  senior  year.  In 
other  cases,  it  is  desirable  that  it  should  be  made  six 
months  at  least  before  the  candidate  expects  to  com¬ 
plete  his  preparation. 


6 


MANUAL. 


The  offer  should  be  written,  and  it  should  be  ad¬ 
dressed  to  the  Secretaries.  The  candidate  should  give 
a  brief  history  of  himself,  setting  forth  his  age,  resi¬ 
dence,  early  education,  habits,  employments,  his  reli¬ 
gious  experience,  his  views  and  motives  in  desiring  the 
missionary  work,  the  department  of  labor  in  which  he 
wishes  to  engage,  and  the  field  he  prefers,  if  he  has  any 
preference,  with  the  reasons  therefor.  He  should  state 
particularly  whether  he  has  a  sound  constitution  and 
enjoys  good  health,  or  the  contrary ;  whether  he  is  in 
debt,  or  expects  to  be  so  when  his  studies  are  com¬ 
pleted  ;  whether  he  expects  to  go  out  as  a  married  or 
a  single  man  ;  and  in  short,  any  particulars  respecting 
himself  which  he  thinks  the  Committee  ought  to  know 
in  acting  upon  his  offer  of  service.  This  paper  should 
be  drawn  up  with  great  frankness  on  the  part  of  the 
candidate.  He  may  expect  the  Secretaries  to  use  a 
corresponding  frankness  toward  him.  These  instruc¬ 
tions  apply  equally  to  women  as  to  men. 

The  offer  of  those  who  are  to  become  the  wives  of 
missionaries  may  be  made  through  their  intended  hus¬ 
bands. 

V.  Testimonials  of  Candidates. 

The  Committee  regard  it  as  solemnly  incumbent  on 
them  before  appointing  any  person  as  a  missionary  or 
assistant  missionary  of  the  Board,  to  obtain  as  thorough 
a  knowledge  as  possible  of  his  character  and  qualifica¬ 
tions  for  the  work  to  which  he  aspires.  For  this  reason 
a  personal  acquaintance  with  him  is  sought  in  all  cases 
where  it  is  possible.  In  the  first  instance,  however, 
written  testimonials  are  obtained  and  sent  on  by  the 
candidate.  They  should  relate  to  the  various  points 
already  noticed  under  the  head  of  “  qualifications.” 

The  proper  persons  to  furnish  these  testimonials  are 
— the  pastor,  with  the  deacons  or  elders  of  the  church 
to  which  the  candidate  belongs,  or  where  he  is  best 
known  as  a  Christian;  the  president  or  professors  of 
the  college  that  gave  him  his  degree ;  and  the  profes¬ 
sors  of  the  seminary  where  he  pursued  his  theological 


MANUAL. 


7 


studies,  or  any  other  instructor.  He  should  present, 
also,  the  ordinary  testimonials  from  the  ecclesiastical 
body  by  which  he  was  licensed  or  ordained.  If  a  phy¬ 
sician,  the  persons  with  whom  he  pursued  his  profes¬ 
sional  studies  should  give  him  testimonials  in  regard  to 
his  proficiency  therein. 

It  is  desirable  that  others,  either  ministers  or  laymen, 
who  are  well  acquainted  with  the  candidate,  should 
freely  give  their  opinion  as  to  his  fitness  for  the  work. 

In  the  case  of  a  woman,  an  intelligent  and  pious 
woman  in  whose  family  she  has  resided,  or  who  has 
otherwise  become  well  acquainted  with  her,  may  give 
much  valuable  information.  If  educated  at  an  academy 
or  seminary,  there  should  be  a  letter  from  the  principal 
of  the  institution.  In  every  instance  there  should  be 
an  explicit  statement  as  to  the  health,  and  the  testi¬ 
mony  of  the  family  physician  should  be  obtained. 

Those  whose  physical  constitutions  have  been  at  any 
time  seriously  impaired,  who  have  suffered  from  rheu¬ 
matic  complaints  or  affections  of  the  spine,  and  espe¬ 
cially  for  a  long  time  from  nervous  prostration  or  from 
difficulties  peculiar  to  women,  as  a  general  rule  ought 
not  to  go  abroad. 

The  more  full,  minute,  and  explicit  these  testimonials 
are,  the  better.  They  should  be  sealed  by  the  writers, 
and  addressed  to  the  Secretaries  of  the  Board.  Too 
much  carefulness  cannot  be  exercised  by  persons  called 
on  to  give  testimonials,  to  be  conscientiously  faithful  to 
their  convictions,  as  a  duty  alike  to  the  candidate  and 
the  cause  of  Christ. 

VI.  Questions  to  Missionary  Candidates. 

Missionary  candidates  are  requested  carefully  to 
answer  the  following  questions,  though  with  all  con¬ 
venient  brevity,  in  their  offer  of  service. 

I.  What  are  your  views  respecting  each  of  the 
leading  doctrines  of  Scripture  commonly  held  by  the 
churches  sustaining  this  Board  ?  In  answering  this 
question,  you  may  use  your  own  language,  or  refer  to 
any  creeds  of  acknowledged  weight,  as  to  the  doctrines 
contained  in  these  creeds. 


8 


MANUAL. 


2.  Have  you  any  views  at  variance  with  these  doc¬ 
trines,  or  any  views  of  church  government  which  would 
prevent  your  cordial  cooperation  with  the  missionaries 
of  this  Board  ? 

3.  What  leads  you  to  think  that  jyou  are  a  Christian 
experimentally,  and  by  the  renewal  of  the  Spirit  ? 

4.  How  long  have  you  been  in  the  church  ? 

5.  What  are  your  views  of  duty  as  a  preacher  of  the 
gospel  ?  What  leads  you  to  desire  foreign  missionary 
service  ? 

6.  How  do  you  regard  hardship,  suffering,  and  peril 
incurred  in  prosecuting  the  missionary  work ;  and  to 
what  extent  are  you  taking  them  into  the  account  and 
preparing  yourself  to  meet  them  ? 

7.  What  is  your  purpose  relative  to  entering  into  the 
missionary  work  for  life  ? 

8.  What  is  your  age  ?  What  is  your  native  place  ? 
Where  has  been  your  residence  ?  In  what  business 
and  employments  have  you  been  engaged  ? 

9.  What  course  of  education  have  you  pursued  ?  Do 
you  acquire  languages  with  facility  ? 

10.  What  is  the  state  of  your  health?  Did  you  in¬ 
herit  a  good  constitution,  in  all  respects  ?  Are  you 
aware  of  being  now,  or  of  having  been  at  any  time, 
subject  to  any  bodily  ailment  or  infirmity?  Are  your 
habits  sedentary  or  active  ? 

11.  Are  any  near  relatives  to  such  a  degree  depend¬ 
ent  on  you,  or  likely  to  become  so,  that  you  are  under 
obligations  to  make  provision  for  their  support  ? 

12.  If  under  engagement,  express  or  implied,  with  a 
view  to  marriage,  does  your  intended  wife  enter  fully 
into  your  views  and  feelings  with  regard  to  the  mission¬ 
ary  work  ?  Has  she  a  good  constitution  and  good 
health  ? 

13.  Do  you  assent  to  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the 
Board,  or  is  there  anything  in  its  organization  or  rules, 
or  in  the  organization  or  manner  of  conducting  its  mis¬ 
sions,  which  you  disapprove,  or  which  would  prevent 
your  laboring  cheerfully  and  happily  under  its  direction, 
and  in  conformity  with  its  regulations  and  those  of  the 
missions  ? 


MANUAL. 


9 


VII.  Appointment  and  its  Consequences. 

The  appointment  and  the  designation  are  two  distinct 
things.  They  need  not  be  decided  at  the  same  time ; 
and  often  they  are  not.  The  first  will  be  decided  as 
soon  as  possible  after  the  necessary  papers  are  com¬ 
plete  ;  and  the  second  as  soon  thereafter  as  circum¬ 
stances  will  permit. 

The  missionary  engages,  on  accepting  his  appoint¬ 
ment,  to  conform  to  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the 
Board,  which  are  appended  to  this  Manual.  He  thus 
pledges  himself,  among  other  things,  to  be  governed  by 
the  majority  of  votes  in  his  mission,  the  proceedings 
being  subject  to  the  revision  of  the  Prudential  Com¬ 
mittee.  He  comes,  moreover,  under  certain  other  dis¬ 
tinct  and  well-understood  pledges :  (i)  As  to  his  man¬ 
ner  of  life;  which  is  to  be  one  of  exemplary  piety  and 
devotion  to  his  work.  (2)  As  to  his  teaching;  which 
must  be  conformed  to  the  evangelical  doctrines  gener¬ 
ally  received  by  the  churches  sustaining  the  Board, 
and  set  forth  in  their  well-known  Confessions  of  Faith. 
(3)  As  to  ecclesiastical  usages ;  which  must  be,  substan¬ 
tially,  such  as  prevail  among  the  churches  operating 
through  the  Board. 

Candidates  who  have  received  their  appointment 
cannot  begin  to  draw  upon  the  Board  for  their  ex¬ 
penses  until  they  actually,  and  by  direction  of  the 
Committee,  enter  its  service.  The  Board  does  not  pay 
the  debts  of  missionaries  contracted  before  their  ap¬ 
pointment,  nor  those  which  they  contract  afterward, 
unless  previously  authorized  by  the  Committee.  It  is 
a  standing  usage  not  to  pay  any  part  of  the  expenses 
incurred  in  the  regular  preparatory  course  of  study  for 
their  profession  as  preachers,  physicians,  teachers,  print¬ 
ers,  etc.  Should  expense  be  incurred  after  appoint¬ 
ment,  by  direction  of  the  Committee,  in  acquiring  the 
language  of  the  country  to  which  the  missionary  is 
designated,  or  in  attending  medical  lectures,  it  will  be 
paid  by  the  Board.  No  candidate  should  visit  the  Mis¬ 
sionary  House  expecting  the  Board  to  pay  his  traveling 
expenses,  unless  he  has  been  expressly  requested  so  to 


lO 


MANUAL. 


do;  nor  should  he,  after  his  appointment,  pursue  any 
course  involving  expense  on  the  part  of  the  Board,  un¬ 
less  expressly  authorized  to  do  it. 

Specific  and  fixed  salaries  are  given  in  the  missions, 
as  the  more  economical  and  satisfactory  method.  The 
allowance  for  the  support  of  a  missionary  in  the  foreign 
field  is  not  to  be  regarded,  in  any  proper  sense,  as 
COMPENSATION  for  labor  performed  ;  nor  is  it  graded  to 
suit  the  varying  abilities  or  success  of  different  individ¬ 
uals,  as  in  ordinary  business  occupations,  in  the  marts 
of  trade,  and  in  civil  life. 

The  salary  asked  by  the  missionary,  and  allowed  by 
the  Prudential  Committee,  is  supposed  rather  to  ex¬ 
press  simply  what  is  necessary,  in  the  way  of  pecun¬ 
iary  support,  to  his  greatest  efficiency  in  his  chosen  field 
of  labor.  In  one  sense  it  is  a  grant  in  aid,  made  by  the 
churches  at  home,  through  the  Prudential  Committee. 
It  is  desired  that  the  missionary  should  be  free  from 
anxiety  in  regard  to  means  of  living,  so  as  to  leave 
heart  and  hands  at  liberty  for  the  largest  possible  ser¬ 
vice  in  the  cause  of  Christ.  Compensation  for  this 
service  he  will  find  in  the  privilege  of  preaching  Christ 
among  the  Gentiles,  and  in  the  conscious  presence  and 
approbation  of  his  Lord. 

It  has  not  been  the  custom  of  this  Board  to  give 
missionaries  such  a  salary  as  would  enable  them  to 
meet  the  expense  of  yearly  payments  for  life  insurance 
policies.  In  case  the  candidate  has  already  effected 
an  insurance,  some  special  arrangement  can  be  made 
with  the  Treasurer  of  the  Board, 

VIII.  What  a  Missionary  has  a  Right  to  Expect. 

A  missionary  is  understood  to  go  to  his  mission  field 
in  the  discharge  of  his  own  personal  duty,  because  he 
believes  his  Lord  and  Saviour  requires  him  to  go  as  his 
servant  and  ambassador.  He  regards  the  churches,  and 
he  regards  the  Board,  in  the  light  of  helpers  to  carry  out 
the  benevolent  purpose  of  his  own  independent  self¬ 
consecration.  A  missionary  engagement  is  not  a  con¬ 
tract  between  the  churches  and  the  missionary,  in  any 


MANUAL. 


II 


such  sense  that  he  may  cease  to  perform  missionary 
labor  and  claim  a  pension  after  a  certain  number  of 
years,  and  while  he  is  yet  able  to  labor.  If  this  idea 
has  sometimes  been  advanced  by  missionaries,  it  has 
been  when  reasoning  on  the  assumption  that  the  work 
of  publishing  the  gospel  was  committed  by  Christ  to 
the  Church  as  a  society,  or  corporate  body,  to  act  as  a 
principal  in  the  matter,  and  as  such,  in  the  discharge 
of  its  own  preeminent  duty,  to  send  forth  and  support 
preachers  in  all  the  world  ;  whereas  the  command  was 
given  to  individual  disciples,  before  an  organized  Chris¬ 
tian  church  existed ;  and  whatever  use  was  made  of 
social  organizations  during  the  apostolic  age,  the  work 
was  always  regarded  as  the  discharge  of  an  individual  and 
personal  obligation.  It  is  not  less  an  individual  and  per¬ 
sonal  duty  now.  Enlistment  in  the  missionary  enterprise 
is  wholly  voluntary,  as  well  on  the  part  of  the  mission¬ 
ary  who  goes  abroad,  as  on  the  part  of  his  fellow  Chris¬ 
tians  who  remain  at  home.  They  are  co-workers  and 
mutual  helpers  ;  and  the  cooperation  of  the  donor  may 
be  as  essential  to  the  prosecution  of  the  work  as  the 
labors  of  the  missionary. 

This  view  of  the  subject  is  doubtless  the  only  one 
that  wall  comport  with  the  successful  prosecution  of 
missions  for  a  prolonged  period  of  time,  and  on  an  ex¬ 
tended  scale.  It  is  necessary  for  all  parties  to  feel 
that  they  are  discharging  only  their  0W7t  personal  obliga¬ 
tions —  that  they  are  performing  only  their  own  appro¬ 
priate  work. 

The  missionary’s  ecclesiastical  relations,  whatever 
they  may  be,  are  not  affected  by  his  appointment.  The 
Board  is  not  an  ecclesiastical  body.  It  is  a  glorious 
fact  that  the  points  which  constitute  emphatically  the 
message  of  missionaries  to  the  heathen  are  those  in 
which  all  evangelical  bodies  mainly  agree. 

The  fact  should  never  be  lost  sight  of  that  the  Board 
and  its  Committee  and  officers  have  identically  the  same 
object  in  view  and  the  same  interest  as  the  missiona¬ 
ries.  Their  object  and  their  interest  are  nothing  else 
than  to  render  all  the  missions  and  missionaries  in  con¬ 
nection  with  the  Board  as  useful  as  possible. 


12 


MANUAL. 


There  is  another  fact,  in  this  connection,  of  no  small 
importance ;  which  is,  that  the  Board  and  its  Com¬ 
mittee  and  officers  sustain  a  common  and  equal  rela¬ 
tion  to  all  the  missions  and  missionaries.  Their  posi¬ 
tion  is  central  with  regard  to  all ;  they  correspond  with 
all ;  they  know  the  condition  and  claims  of  all ;  and 
while  they  know  the  amount  of  means  placed  at  their 
disposal  by  the  Christian  public  better  than  the  mis¬ 
sionaries  can  know  it,  they  are  bound  to  see  that  the 
claims  of  all  are  impartially  attended  to  in  the  distri¬ 
bution  of  those  means.  The  brethren  in  each  of  the 
missions  may  understand  the  circumstances,  necessities, 
and  intrinsic  merits  of  their  own  missions  better  than 
the  Prudential  Committee.  But  they  do  not  and  can¬ 
not  know  so  well  the  state  of  the  other  missions.  They 
cannot  judge  so  well  of  the  relative  claims  of  the  sev¬ 
eral  missions.  They  cannot  know  so  well  the  general 
bearings  of  particular  measures.  Differences  of  opinion, 
when  they  have  arisen,  have  generally  been  occasioned 
by  difference  in  the  points  and  range  of  observation. 
At  the  same  time,  the  opinions  of  missionaries  upon 
facts  under  their  personal  observation  must  ever  have 
great  influence  with  the  Committee. 

IX.  Designation. 

In  the  designation  of  missionaries  to  particular  fields, 
the  utmost  care  is  taken  to  secure  to  each  one  just 
that  place  to  which  he  is  best  fitted,  where  he  is  most 
needed,  and  where,  all  things  considered,  he  may  hope 
for  the  largest  possible  service  to  the  cause  of  Christ. 
Regard  is  always  had  to  the  wishes  and  convictions  of 
the  candidate,  and  the  conclusion  in  a  given  case  is 
only  reached  after  a  full  and  free  conference.  The 
Prudential  Committee  never  desires  a  missionary  to  go 
where  he  cannot  labor  cheerfully,  and  in  accordance 
with  his  own  convictions  of  duty  and  privilege. 

X.  Studies. 

It  is  not  deemed  expedient  by  the  Committee,  nor 
by  missionaries  already  among  the  heathen,  that  the 
regular  course  of  preparatory  or  theological  studies 


MANUAL. 


13 


should  be  neglected  or  curtailed,  with  a  view  to  prose¬ 
cuting  studies  more  especially  adapted  to  some  contem¬ 
plated  field  of  missionary  service.  The  furnishing  and 
disciplining  of  the  mind,  effected  by  the  ordinary  course 
of  education,  is  not  less  important  for  the  preacher 
abroad  than  for  the  preacher  at  home  ;  while  the  pecul¬ 
iar  preparation  required  for  a  missionary  in  a  particular 
country  may  be  much  more  advantageously  made  in 
that  country  than  at  home.  Should  it  be  deemed  of 
great  importance,  however,  that  time  should  be  given 
to  this  form  of  preparation  in  the  United  States,  it  may 
be  attended  to  after  the  regular  and  usual  course  of 
study  shall  have  been  completed.  Where  appointed 
missionaries  are  obliged  to  delay  their  departure  for  a 
foreign  field,  and  they  can  have  competent  personal 
instruction,  it  is  well  to  make  all  possible  acquisition, 
meanwhile,  of  the  languages  which  they  are  to  use. 

The  experience  of  the  Committee  leads  them,  in  all 
ordinary  cases,  to  question  the  expediency  of  an  or¬ 
dained  missionary’s  taking  the  time  necessary  to  attend 
medical  lectures.  Nor  would  they  encourage  a  physi¬ 
cian  to  delay  his  departure  for  a  long  time,  that  he  may 
pursue  the  study  of  theology.  Nor  have  the  Committee 
ever  known  circumstances  in  which  it  seemed  advisable 
for  an  accepted  missionary,  or  physician,  to  visit  any 
foreign  country,  for  the  sake  of  study,  previous  to  enter¬ 
ing  his  field  of  labor. 


XI.  Debts. 

It  has  been  already  stated  that  the  Board  does  not 
pay  the  debts  of  those  who  receive  appointments  as 
missionaries.  Candidates  will,  of  course,  be  allowed 
the  time  and  opportunity  required  for  liquidating  their 
debts  before  going  abroad ;  and  they  should  be  scru¬ 
pulously  careful  to  see  that  all  claims  against  them  are 
cancelled  before  they  leave  the  country.  They  are  ex¬ 
pected  to  devise  their  own  plans  for  paying  their  debts. 
It  is  exceedingly  desirable  that  they  should  owe  as  little 
as  possible.  Students  are  apt  to  incur  debts  for  books ; 


14 


MANUAL. 


but  this  is  seldom  wise.  Nor  should  they  incur  a  debt 
merely  because  they  have  friends  who  are  willing  to 
advance  them  money. 

XII.  Ordination. 

The  missionary  having  received  official  notice  of  his 
appointment  by  the  Committee,  it  is  left  with  himself 
and  his  friends,  or  with  the  church  or  ecclesiastical 
body  with  which  he  is  connected,  to  make  arrange¬ 
ments  for  his  ordination.  Care  should  be  taken  that 
the  time,  place,  manner,  and  all  the  circumstances,  be 
such  as  to  give  no  just  cause  for  dissatisfaction  in  any 
quarter,  and  such  as,  in  the  highest  degree  possible,  to 
promote  the  interests  of  the  missionary  cause. 

XIII.  Marriage. 

It  is  very  desirable  that  a  missionary  should  be 
married.  The  exceptions  are  rare.  Good  health  is 
very  im^Dortant  in  the  wife,  though  sometimes  ladies  in 
delicate  health,  but  of  unimpaired  physical  constitution, 
have  been  quite  as  well  abroad  as  at  home.  And  a 
minister  does  not  need  higher  qualifications  in  a  wife 
at  home  than  he  would  in  the  foreign  field,  where  she 
is  almost  his  only  companion  and  adviser.  Early  en¬ 
gagements  are  not  desirable.  They  are  more  apt  to  be 
judicious  when  formed  at  a  later  period ;  and  there  is 
less  danger  of  a  failure  in  health  before  the  parties  are 
ready  for  marriage.  Nor  is  it  well  to  defer  all  atten¬ 
tion  to  the  subject  till  the  eve  of  departure  from  the 
country ;  though  excellent  wives  have  been  obtained 
even  then.  As  a  rule,  marriage  should  be  deferred 
by  missionaries  until  the  time  of  their  departure  for 
their  missionary  field  is  fixed  and  near, 

XIV.  Outfit. 

The  outfit  of  a  missionary  includes  the  clothing,  bed¬ 
ding,  etc.,  for  his  use  on  arriving  at  his  place  of  destina¬ 
tion,  together  with  a  select  private  library  and  the  neces¬ 
sary  furniture  for  housekeeping. 


MANUAL. 


15 


Some  portion  of  the  furniture  can  ordinarily  be  pro¬ 
cured  in  the  country  to  which  he  is  going.  Should  it 
resemble  the  furniture  used  by  the  natives,  so  much  the 
better,  if  it  can  be  rendered  convenient,  as  that  will 
make  both  him  and  his  house  more  agreeable  to  them. 

Necessary  traveling  expenses  preparatory  to  embar¬ 
kation,  and  the  cost  of  passage,  though  paid  by  the 
Board,  are  not  included  in  the  outfit.  The  Treasurer 
is  not  authorized  to  pay  the  freight  of  outfit  to  the  place 
of  destination  beyond  six  tons  ship  measurement,  forty 
cubic  feet  to  a  ton. 

It  is  desirable  that  the  relatives  and  personal  friends 
of  the  candidate  should,  so  far  as  they  are  able  and 
disposed,  aid  in  furnishing  the  outfit.  Of  course  those 
pious  parents  who  would  have  aided  their  children  with 
funds  to  commence  housekeeping,  had  they  been  mar¬ 
ried  with  a  view  to  residing  in  this  country,  will  not 
withhold  their  aid  because  their  children  become  mis¬ 
sionaries  to  the  heathen.  Collections  or  subscriptions 
of  money  taken  up  for  a  missionary’s  outfit,  at  a  public 
meeting,  or  out  of  the  circle  of  a  missionary’s  personal 
friends,  are  almost  always  inexpedient.  If  ever  made, 
the  sums  thus  raised  should  be  regarded  by  the  mission¬ 
ary  as  so  much  received  for  outfit,  and  be  acknowledged 
accordingly. 

Well-made  boxes  of  the  medium  size  are  ordinarily 
more  convenient  for  clothing  than  trunks.^  The  boxes 
should  be  numbered,  and  a  list  made  of  every  article 
contained  in  each.* *  Things  to  be  used  on  the  voyage 
should  be  packed  separately,  and  marked  accordingly ; 
and  everything  should  be  forwarded  to  the  place  of  em¬ 
barkation  in  good  season. 

Missionaries  are  sometimes  fitted  out  entirely  by  their 
friends ;  and  almost  always  they  are  so  to  a  greater  or 
less  extent.  But  by  the  rules  of  the  Board,  a  married 
missionary  may  receive  aid  from  its  funds  when  the 


1  Where  the  boxes  are  to  be  transported  on  horses  any  considerable  distance,  it 
is  recommended  that  the  length  be  3  feet,  the  depth  i  foot  and  6  inches,  and  the 
breadth  i  foot  and  4  inches ;  and  the  gross  weight  of  the  box,  when  filled,  should 
not  exceed  160  pounds. 

*  A  general  statement  of  the  contents  of  each  box,  as  “clothing,”  “books,” 
etc.,  and  approximate  value,  should  be  furnished  the  forwarding  agent,  for 
insurance. 


i6 


MANUAL. 


assistance  is  needed,  to  the  amount  of  $500 ;  a  single 
man,  $300  ;  and  a  single  woman,  $250.  At  the  end  of 
a  year  after  reaching  his  destination  a  married  mission¬ 
ary  may  receive  an  additional  outfit  allowance  of  $150 
on  application  to  the  Treasurer  of  the  Board.  At  least 
$50  of  the  outfit  allowance  should  be  reserved,  to  be 
expended  after  reaching  the  mission  field.  The  mis¬ 
sionary  should,  in  no  case,  begin  to  draw  his  outfit 
from  the  treasury  till  near  the  time  of  his  departure. 

How  to  make  out  a  List  for  Oufit. 

Remember  that  a  list  of  outfit  made  out  for  another 
mission,  or  even  for  your  own  mission  twenty  years  ago, 
is  no  rule  now.  Circumstances  change  with  time  and 
place.  The  opinions  of  the  older  missionaries,  when 
asked,  are  often  given  under  the  influence  of  the  remem¬ 
bered  circumstances  of  their  own  embarkation.  When 
these  opinions  are  given  by  persons  who  have  been 
residing  in  a  very  different  field,  they  will  be  exceed¬ 
ingly  apt  to  mislead. 

It  is  well  to  seek  advice;  but  make  out  a  list  for 
yourself,  as  the  result  of  your  own  reflections.  Every 
missionary,  knowing  a  few  facts,  and  exercising  some 
thought  on  the  subject,  can  form  a  satisfactory  opinion 
as  to  what  he  will  require.  He  needs  to  know  the 
length  of  the  voyage  —  the  climates  he  is  to  pass 
through  —  and  that  no  washing  is  done  at  sea.  He 
can  then  judge  what  he  will  need  for  the  journey,  and 
his  wife  can  do  the  same  for  herself. 

The  number  of  articles  to  be  used  on  the  voyage 
should  be  as  few  as  possible,  yet  sufficient,  with  a  few 
extras  for  sickness.  In  warm  weather  more  changes 
will  be  necessary  than  in  cold. 

Thick  clothing,  somewhat  worn,  will  be  found  useful 
on  shipboard  and  in  traveling. 

Mattresses  will  generally  be  procured  at  the  place  of 
embarkation. 

In  determining  what  articles  of  clothing  shall  be 
taken  for  the  voyage,  and  for  use  after  reaching  the 


MANUAL. 


17 


field,  proceed  methodically,  beginning  with  the  outer 
garment,  and  note  down  how  many  will  be  needed  — 
thick  and  thin,  coarse  and  fine,  woolen,  cotton,  etc. 

A  lady  should  take  the  same  course  in  respect  to  her 
clothing.  As  a  general  rule,  clothing  should  be  warmer 
for  winter  and  cooler  for  summer  than  in  the  same  tem¬ 
perature  in  this  country. 

The  amount  of  furniture  to  be  taken  must  be  deter¬ 
mined  by  the  locality  of  the  mission.  Owing  to  the 
progress  of  commerce,  etc.,  less  and  less  need  be  taken 
every  year. 

In  making  the  purchases,  see  at  every  step  that  you 
are  not  running  beyond  your  available  means.  If  you 
are,  you  may  be  sure  you  are  on  too  large  a  scale. 

As  a  general  rule,  the  articles  to  be  obtained  at  the 
place  of  the  missionary’s  residence  are  those  which  are 
manufactured  by  the  needle.  Such  articles  are  better, 
made  among  friends,  than  those  which  are  found  ready 
made  in  cities.  Donations  in  stockings,  shoes,  etc., 
should  also  be  thankfully  received,  and  whatever  other 
needful  articles  can  be  packed  in  a  small  space.  But 
bulky  articles,  and  also  heavy  articles,  unless  the  place 
of  embarkation  is  near,  should  be  procured  at  that 
place,  the  freight  being  a  serious  addition  to  the  first 
cost.  Bring  a  list,  fairly  written,  of  all  the  articles 
obtained.  Clothing  should  all  be  marked  with  the 
name  of  the  owner. 

Bear  in  mind  that  freight  must  be  paid  on  the  outfit, 
thus  greatly  increasing  the  cost  of  bulky  articles,  before 
they  reach  their  foreign  destination.  As  the  Board  is 
responsible  for  freight  on  only  six  tons  (240  cubic  feet) 
care  should  be  taken  not  to  incur  a  debt  for  transporta¬ 
tion  of  comparatively  unimportant  articles,  even  if  given 
by  friends. 

It  is  no  longer  true,  in  respect  to  any  mission,  that 
an  outfit  of  clothing,  etc.,  should  be  procured  for  sev¬ 
eral  years.  Fresh  supplies  can  now  be  readily  ordered 
from  home,  or  obtained  abroad. 

A  competent  man  will  be  fonnd  at  the  Missionary  Rooms 
in  Bosto7i  to  advise  the  missionaries  in  the  purchase  of 


i8 


MANUAL. 


articles  of  outfit,  and  to  condtict  them  to  places  where  these 
articles  can  be  advantageously  procured.  Every  one  must 
judge  in  great  measure  for  himself  as  to  his  wants  ;  and 
it  is  for  him  to  see  that  his  peculiar  taste  is  suited. 

Experience  has  shown  that  it  is  well  for  missionaries 
to  be  assisted  only  so  far  as  may  be  necessary  to  enable 
them  to  be  in  readiness  on  the  day  of  embarkation  ;  and 
it  is  better,  on  all  accounts,  that  they  should  purchase 
the  articles,  and  pack  at  least  their  clothing  and  bed¬ 
ding.  They  are  then  better  satisfied,  and  they  know 
where  to  look  for  what  they  want. 

A  full  and  accurate  account  should  be  kept  of  the 
manner  in  which  all  moneys  received  from  the  treasury 
of  the  Board  have  been  expended,  noting  particularly 
what  is  for  traveling  expenses,  and  what  for  outfit;  and 
a  brief  abstract  of  these  expenses  should  be  given  to 
the  Treasurer  before  embarkation. 

The  outfit  of  a  missionary  is  regarded  as  the  property 
of  the  Board,  so  far  as  purchased  by  its  funds ;  and  in 
case  of  a  missionary  retiring  from  the  field  within  a 
limited  period,  for  other  cause  than  failure  of  health,  it 
is  expected  that  an  equitable  return  will  be  made  to  the 
Board  —  due  regard  being  had  to  expenses  incurred  and 
services  rendered. 

Passport. 

A  passport,  obtained  from  the  Secretary  of  State  at 
Washington,  is  indispensable  to  missionaries  going  to 
Eastern  countries,  and  is  important  for  them  wherever 
they  go.  Missionaries  are  requested  to  consult  the 
Secretaries  on  this  matter  a  month  at  least  before  their 
departure. 

Private  Library  and  Periodicals. 

The  missionary’s  private  library  should  be  eminently 
select.  Its  nature  should  depend  on  his  particular  pro¬ 
fession.  A  large  library  is  desirable  for  but  few  mis¬ 
sionaries.  In  some  countries  it  is  exceedingly  difficult 
to  preserve  books  from  the  ravages  of  insects.  In  un¬ 
civilized  countries  they  will  be  exposed  to  numerous 


MANUAL. 


19 


casualties,  and  will  often  suffer  for  want  of  the  care  it 
is  impossible  to  render.  Should  it  happen  that  neces¬ 
sary  books  are  not  taken  when  the  missionary  goes  out, 
they  can  be  sent  for  and  received  by  mail  or  other¬ 
wise. 

Missionaries,  previously  to  leaving  this  country,  or 
afterward,  should  not  directly,  or  through  their  friends, 
order  books,  periodicals,  or  any  other  articles  to  be 
sent  to  them  at  the  expense  of  the  Board.  They,  of 
course,  have  the  same  liberty  of  ordering  books  and 
periodicals  at  their  private  expense,  which  pastors  have 
at  home. 

XV.  Farewell  Visits  to  Friends. 

It  is  not  wise  to  take  a  long  time  for  these.  It  is 
better  for  the  health  of  the  missionary  and  his  wife,  and 
for  all  concerned,  that  they  should  be  short.  It  is 
painful  to  see  persons  come  to  the  place  of  embarka¬ 
tion  wearied  out,  with  their  health  perhaps  materially 
and  permanently  affected  by  a  succession  of  long-con¬ 
tinued,  exhausting  farewells.  Experience  has  shown 
that  short  visits  are  much  more  satisfactory  in  the  end. 
The  Committee,  however,  aim  to  give  missionaries  as 
early  notice  as  may  be  in  their  power  of  the  time  of 
departure. 

The  missionary,  from  the  time  of  his  appointment, 
should  be  sure  to  keep  the  Secretary  who  has  the  cor¬ 
respondence  with  him  informed  where  letters  will  find 
him  in  the  shortest  possible  time.  This  may  be  of 
great  importance  to  him,  as  his  designation  and  de¬ 
parture  may,  by  various  means,  be  unexpectedly  has¬ 
tened  or  delayed. 

Public  instructions  are  not  often  given  to  mission¬ 
aries  on  leaving  the  countr}'.  These  are  not  now 
regarded  as  essential.  Yet  public  statements  of  plans 
and  principles,  on  occasion  of  the  departure  of  mission¬ 
aries,  are  useful  to  the  cause ;  and  the  custom  will  no 
doubt  be  continued,  so  far  as  time,  health,  and  other 
circumstances  shall  permit,  particularly  on  the  occasion 
of  entering  upon  new  fields. 


20 


MANUAL. 


XVI.  Care  of  Health.  Furloughs . 

Missionaries  are  expected  conscientiously  to  care  for 
their  health,  taking  such  rests  and  vacations  in  the 
vicinity  of  their  missionary  fields  as  are  necessary  for 
this  purpose.  Occasionally,  also,  a  visit  to  the  United 
States  may  be  desirable  ;  but  no  fixed  period  of  labor 
abroad  entitles  a  missionary  to  such  a  furlough.  The 
circumstances  of  different  individuals  are  so  unlike, 
and  the  differences  of  climate  are  such,  that  each  case 
must  be  judged  of  according  to  its  necessity,  always 
with  a  wise  reference  to  the  best  interests  of  the  mis¬ 
sionary  cause  at  home  and  abroad.  On  leaving  his 
mission,  a  missionary’s  salary  is  discontinued,  and 
his  necessary  traveling  expenses  to  the  United  States, 
by  the  most  direct  route  consistent  with  health,  will 
be  defrayed  by  the  Board.  On  reaching  his  friends,  or 
former  home  in  this  country,  an  allowance  will  be  pro¬ 
vided  till  the  expiration  of  the  furlough,  the  amount  to 
be  fixed  after  conference,  and  on  a  missionary  basis. 
All  income  from  ministerial  or  other  services  while  in 
this  country  should  be  accounted  for  to  the  Treasurer 
of  the  Board,  and  applied  to  such  allowance. 


Rules  and  Regulations  Relating  to 
Missionaries. 


1.  Every  person  received  by  the  Prudential  Committee  as  a 
candidate  for  missionary  service  is  expected  to  hold  himself  at  the 
direction  of  the  Committee,  both  in  respect  to  the  field  of  his 
future  labors,  and  the  time  of  his  going  forth ;  it  being  under¬ 
stood,  however,  that  his  inclination,  as  well  as  his  particular  qual¬ 
ifications  and  other  circumstances,  shall  be  kindly  and  attentively 
considered. 

2.  The  missionaries  and  assistant  missionaries  are  regarded  as 
having  an  equitable  claim  upon  the  churches  in  whose  behalf  they 
go  among  the  heathen  for  an  economical  support  while  perform¬ 
ing  their  missionary  labors ;  and  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Board 
to  see  that  a  fair  and  equitable  allowance  is  made  to  them,  taking 
into  view  their  actual  circumstances  in  the  several  countries  where 
they  reside. 

3.  No  missionary  or  assistant  missionary  of  the  Board  shall 
engage  in  any  transactions  or  employments  yielding  pecuniary 
profit,  without  first  obtaining  the  consent  of  his  brethren  in  the 
mission.' 

4.  A  majority  of  missionaries  and  assistant  missionaries  in  any 
mission  shall,  in  their  regular  meetings,  decide  all  questions  that 
may  arise  in  regard  to  their  proceedings  and  conduct,  in  which  the 
mission  is  interested,  the  decision  being  subject  to  the  revision  of 
the  Prudential  Committee.  At  such  meetings  every  male  mission¬ 
ary  and  assistant  missionary  present,  having  arrived  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one  years,  is  entitled  to  a  vote. 

5.  In  the  consideration  of  questions  touching  their  own  work 
the  unmarried  women  of  a  mission  and  a  station  are  to  have  an 
equal  voice  with  the  men. 

6.  In  case  of  differences  of  opinion  as  to  the  conduct  of  their 
work,  women  have  the  same  right  with  men,  of  appeal  to  the  mis¬ 
sion  in  the  first  instance,  and  later,  if  need  be,  to  the  Prudential 
Committee,  and  always  of  reference  to  the  Secretaries  of  the 
American  Board. 


r  This  should  be  also  with  the  approval  of  the  Prudential  Committee,  and  all 
income  from  such  sources  should  be  placed  at  the  credit  of  the  Board  in  the  mis¬ 
sion  treasurer’s  accounts. 


22 


MANUAL. 


7.  As  the  Prudential  Committee,  in  making  the  annual  appro¬ 
priations,  aims  to  give  to  all  the  missions  and  missionaries  a  Just 
proportion  of  the  means  at  its  disposal,  and  distributes  according 
to  estimates  carefully  prepared  and  duly  submitted  to  it  by  the 
different  missions,  it  is  incumbent  on  all  missionaries  to  accept  the 
arrangement  made  by  the  Prudential  Committee,  and  not  to  make 
special  appeals  for  objects  outside  of  the  appropriations.* 

8.  When  any  missionary  or  assistant  missionary  of  the  Board 
shall  desire,  on  account  of  ill  health  or  any  other  cause,  to  return 
to  the  United  States,  he  is  required  to  obtain  permission  from  the 
Prudential  Committee  so  to  do,  when  it  is  practicable  (always 
sending  with  his  request  the  opinion  of  his  mission),  and  when 
impracticable  to  obtain  such  permission,  he  is  required  to  obtain 
the  consent  of  his  mission,  w'hich  consent  shall  always  be  subject 
to  the  revision  of  the  Prudential  Committee. 

9.  When  missionaries  or  assistant  missionaries  return  home, 
their  connection  with  the  Board  shall  cease  as  soon  as  there  is  no 
longer  a  reasonable  probability  of  their  returning  to  their  mission¬ 
ary  labor.® 

10.  Whenever  any  missionary  or  assistant  missionary  has,  in 
the  judgment  of  the  Prudential  Committee,  violated  the  instruc¬ 
tions  given  him,  whether  before  or  after  entering  the  field  of  his 
missionary  labors,  or  has  failed  to  perform  any  duty  reasonably 
required  of  him,  they  are  authorized  to  dismiss  him,  in  case  they 
deem  it  expedient,  from  the  service  of  the  Board.  In  all  cases, 
however,  where  the  missionary  or  assistant  missionary  has  actually 
been  named  in  any  of  the  official  publications  of  the  Board  as  hav¬ 
ing  been  received  under  its  patronage  and  direction,  the  individual 
so  dismissed  shall  have  the  privilege  of  submitting  his  case  to  the 
revision  of  the  Board,  at  an  annual  meeting. 

The  following  resolution  was  adopted  by  the  Board  at  its  annual 
meeting  in  Salem,  October,  1871 : 

Resolved^  That  in  order  to  secure  the  harmony  and  efficiency  of 
action  essential  among  our  missionaries,  at  the  several  missionary 
stations  of  this  Board,  whenever  the  Prudential  Committee  shall 
become  satisfied  that  an  individual  missionary,  for  any  cause,  is 
unable  to  work  in  harmony  with  his  brethren,  or  to  exert  such 
influence  as  is  deemed  truly  promotive  of  the  cause  of  Christ,  or 
as  to  warrant  his  continuance  in  that  field,  it  is  held  by  this  Board 
to  be  their  duty,  alike  to  the  individual  missionary,  to  his  brethren 
in  the  same  field,  and  to  the  churches  which  support  him,  to  recall 
such  missionary,  making  such  provision  for  him  and  his  family  as 
may  be  deemed  equitable,  in  view  of  his  necessities  and  period  of 
service. 


^  Authority  for  such  appeals  in  exceptional  cases,  may,  of  course,  be  given  by 
the  Prudential  Committee. 

2  Of  course  it  is  understood  that  no  missionary  should  borrow  money  of  natives 
or  foreigners  in  mission  fields,  either  for  himself  or  for  his  missionary  work,  and 
the  Board  can  in  no  wise  be  held  responsible  for  such  obligations,  unless  author¬ 
ized  by  the  mission,  and  in  cases  of  emergency. 


MANUAL. 


23 


11.  When  superannuated  or  disabled  missionaries  or  assistant 
missionaries,  or  the  %vidows  of  missionaries  or  assistant  missiona¬ 
ries,  return  to  this  country  with  the  approbation  of  the  Prudential 
Committee,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Committee  to  make  such 
grants  toward  their  support  as  the  circumstances  of  each  case  shall 
require,  and  as  shall  best  comport  with  the  missionary  character 
and  the  interests  of  the  missionary  cause ;  it  being  understood, 

((z)  That  no  pensions  or  annuities  are  to  be  settled  on  any  per¬ 
son,  and  that  no  grant  is  to  be  made,  except  in  extraordinary  cases, 
for  any  other  than  the  current  year. 

(^)  That,  except  in  extraordinary  cases,  after  the  lapse  of  a 
year  from  their  return,  no  grant  is  to  be  made  to  returned  mission¬ 
aries  or  assistant  missionaries  who  are  neither  superannuated  nor 
disabled  by  sickness,  and  yet  are  not  expected  to  resume  their  mis¬ 
sionary  labors. 

{c)  That  missionaries  and  assistant  missionaries  who  return  on 
account  of  sickness,  and  recover  their  health,  and  remain  in  this 
country,  are  no  longer  to  be  regarded  as  having  claims  upon  the 
Board  for  pecuniary  assistance. 

(^/)  That  missionaries  and  assistant  missionaries  who  return  on 
account  of  sickness,  and  partially  recover  their  health  so  as  to 
attend  to  the  ordinary  business  of  life  for  a  number  of  years,  are 
not  to  be  regarded,  when  they  again  lose  their  health,  as  having 
the  same  claims  upon  the  Board  as  they  had  when  they  first 
arrived. 

12.  When  missionaries  or  assistant  missionaries  desire  to 
send  their  children  to  this  country  for  education,  and  when  it  is 
decided,  in  a  manner  conformable  to  the  rules  and  usages  of  the 
Board,  that  the  children  may  come,  the  arrangements  for  the  pas¬ 
sage,  so  far  as  they  involve  expense,  shall  have  the  concurrence  of 
the  mission,  and  the  allowance,  extraordinary  cases  excepted,  shall 
be  only  for  a  passage  direct  to  this  country. 

13.  When  the  children  arrive  in  this  country,  the  Prudential 
Committee  will  see  that  they  have  a  suitable  conveyance  to  the 
places  where  they  are  to  be  educated  or  to  reside  ;  and  the  Com¬ 
mittee  may  make  grants,  on  application  from  the  parents  or 
guardians,  to  an  amount  not  exceeding  one  hundred  and  twenty 
dollars  a  year  for  each  child,  until  the  children  are  eighteen  years 
of  age,  and  “in  cases  of  special  need  ”  the  Comnrittee  is  author¬ 
ized  to  make  grants  “not  exceeding  one  hundred  and  fifty  dol¬ 
lars,”  and  to  extend  the  time  “  until  the  children  are  twenty  years 
of  age.” 

14.  Children  who  are  left  orphans,  and  without  a  suitable 
home  in  the  mission,  or  a  responsible  guardian,  will  receive  the 
immediate  and  kind  consideration  of  the  Prudential  Committee, 
who  will  make  an  arrangement  for  their  return  home,  and  provide 
for  them  the  best  guardianship  in  their  power. 

15.  The  allowances  made  on  account  of  the  children  of  living 
missionaries  or  assistant  missionaries,  wherever  the  children  may 
be  educated,  shall  be  charged  to  the  mission  to  which  the  parents 


24 


MANUAL. 


belong ;  and  the  allowances  made  on  account  of  orphan  children 
shall,  in  ordinary  cases,  be  charged  to  the  mission  to  which  the 
parents  belonged  at  the  time  of  their  decease. 

1 6.  Such  are  the  multiplied  cares  and  duties  of  the  Prudential 
Committee,  and  the  Treasurer  and  Secretaries,  that  it  is  not 
regarded  as  practicable  or  expedient  for  them  ta  undertake  the 
guardianship  of  the  children  sent  to  this  country. 

17.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Prudential  Committee  to  affix  a 
limit  to  the  annual  expenditures  of  each  mission. 

18.  The  rule  is  applicable  to  all  missionaries  and  agents  of  the 
Board  that  real  estate  shall  not  be  purchased  at  the  expense  of 
the  Board,  nor  money  loaned  belonging  to  the  Board,  without 
the  express  permission  of  the  Prudential  Committee  previously 
obtained. 

19.  In  general,  the  sole  object  of  the  printing  establishments 
connected  with  the  missions  of  the  Board  shall  be  to  exert  a  direct 
influence  upon  the  surrounding  native  population ;  and  no  mission, 
or  member  of  a  mission,  may  print  any  letter,  tract,  or  appeal,  at 
these  establishments,  at  the  expense  of  the  Board,  with  a  view  to 
its  being  sent  to  individuals  or  communities  in  the  United  States. 

20.  It  is  recommended  to  those  missions  in  which  it  can  con¬ 
veniently  be  done,  to  hold  their  annual  meetings  at  the  same  time 
with  that  of  the  Board. 

It  is  recommended  to  those  missions  which  cannot  conveniently 
hold  their  annual  meetings  at  the  same  time  with  the  Board,  to 
devote  Thursday  (the  third  day  in  the  annual  session  of  the  Board, 
and  that  in  which  the  Lord’s  Supper  is  celebrated)  to  special 
prayer,  with  the  particular  object  of  securing  the  blessing  of  God 
upon  the, deliberations  and  proceedings  of  the  Board  during  its 
session ;  upon  the  Prudential  Committee,  during  the  year  ensuing, 
and  the  missionaries  and  agents  laboring  under  its  direction ;  and 
upon  the  several  missions,  and  the  churches  which  contribute  for 
their  support. 

It  is  recommended  to  those  missions  which  shall  hold  their 
annual  meetings  at  the  same  time  with  the  Board,  to  devote  such 
part  of  Thursday  as  they  conveniently  can  to  special  prayer  for 
the  objects  just  specified ;  and  the  afternoon,  where  circumstances 
favor  it,  to  the  celebration  of  the  Lord’s  Supper;  inviting  the 
native  church  members  to  unite  with  the  mission  in  this  celebra¬ 
tion,  and  giving  them  information  concerning  such  organizations 
and  operations  of  the  churches  at  home  as  have  for  their  object 
to  spread  gospel  light  through  the  world. 


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